Can't Go Back Now
by alinaandalion
Summary: You know there will be days when you're so tired that you can't take another step. The night will have no stars, and you'll think you've gone as far as you will ever get.  Glinda and Elphaba unite against the Wizard.  Post-Defying Gravity.  AU.
1. Chapter 1

This is inspired by an idea the wonderful Tiggy gave me. I'm not pinning down a specific pairing. Glinda and Elphaba will be the main characters, but not necessarily paired together. They could be, though. I hope you all like this.

Galinda pulled lazily on her perfect curls as she studied Elphaba, her pretty face marred by a frown; Elphaba had been reading since she had gotten back from class, and Galinda was bored.

"Elphie, can I play with your hair?" Galinda asked, grinning in her direction in the hopes that Elphaba would relent.

"I'm busy," Elphaba replied dismissively, not even glancing in Galinda's direction.

"But, I'm bored," Galinda pouted. "And, you're ignoring me."

Elphaba sighed and closed her book. "You wouldn't find yourself constantly without entertainment if you would spend time with Pfanee and Shen-Shen. I'm sure they would be delighted if you deigned to bless them with your presence."

"I don't have fun with them anymore," Galinda said as she flopped down on her bed. "I find them stupid and dull."

Elphaba laughed, obviously amused, and Galinda's stomach tightened at the pleasure of eliciting the odd cackle from her usually reserved roommate.

"Ah, the perils of possessing a brain," Elphaba said as she sat down beside Galinda's prostrate body and brushed her fingers across Galinda's flushed cheek. "How may I entertain you, my pretty?"

Galinda bit her lip. "I like that one."

"Of course you do," Elphaba said, a slight bite in her voice. "It's a term of endearment as well as a compliment. It fits you perfectly."

"Don't think that I'm so shallow to be flattered when you're actually making fun of me," Galinda told her seriously.

"I assure you that I am only attempting to show my affection for you, but I can see that it's not appreciated," Elphaba said mildly, her long hair spilling over her shoulders.

Galinda rolled her eyes. "I'm sure."

Elphaba tapped her fingers lightly against the tip of Galinda's nose as she said, "You know, I do think I'm rubbing off on you."

"Elphie, let's go out and do something tonight," Galinda said, her eyes twinkling.

"I thought you would have plans with Fiyero," Elphaba replied.

"I haven't made any plans with him," Galinda said immediately.

Elphaba sighed. "Well, I assumed that you would because he is _your _boyfriend."

Galinda winced in response to Elphaba's statement, and she felt a cold distance that came between them at the mention of the young prince at all.

Galinda shifted uncomfortably on the bed as she said, "Well, I'm sure he is capable of entertaining himself for one evening unless you feel that we can use his company."

"You know I don't care either way," Elphaba responded lightly, but Galinda caught sight of the longing in her dark eyes.

"I'll ask him if he would be willing to join us," Galinda relented, feeling the stinging bite of jealousy. "I'm sure that he will consent, especially with the knowledge that you'll be going with us."

"If anything, my presence would only act as discouragement," Elphaba remarked blandly, her fingers twisting in her hair.

Galinda shook her head and brushed a light kiss against Elphaba's cheek, saying quietly, "He thinks the world of you."

Elphaba allowed a small smile to appear on her face as she said, "If that is true, then you had better ask him before he decides to spend the evening with Avaric. I would prefer to not spend my time at a bar. I do not intend on getting drunk tonight."

"Your wish is my command," Galinda replied with a giggle.

As Galinda pranced out of the room, Elphaba relaxed against Galinda's pale pink bedspread, smiling widely. Fiyero didn't think of her as a waste of time and space; Elphaba wondered as she tried to contain her happiness if merely wishing for something so hard could make it come true.

As Galinda waited for Fiyero to answer his door, she attempted to fight her growing annoyance with him; it had been a long time since she had felt content with him, much less happy. He was so busy pining after Elphaba that he had not even noticed the change; still, even though she did not like to admit it, she did not want to end their relationship because she could not bear to see him with Elphaba. She knew it was silly. However, she preferred to ignore any feelings she might harbor for her roommate and keep up the charade of being perfectly in love with Fiyero.

"Galinda," Fiyero said in surprise when he opened his door.

She sighed. "I wanted to invite you to go out this evening with me and Elphaba. Do you already have plans?"

"You know that I don't," he replied. He grinned slightly. "Besides, I would change them in an instant for you."

"Right," she muttered. Forcing a smile onto her face, she said, "Of course. I always forget. Well, I expect you to come to our room exactly at six."

"Is that all you needed?" he asked, his dark blue eyes studying her intently.

Patting his cheek fondly, Galinda replied, "Yes, dear. Remember, don't be late."

She walked off, her smile disappearing as she chew on her bottom lip; Fiyero ran a hand through his dark hair before retreating into his room.


	2. Chapter 2

Elphaba paced the length of her room, clutching a green piece of paper to her chest. She whirled around at the sound of the door opening and beamed at the sight of Galinda walking into the room.

"The Wizard sent me a letter," Elphaba announced, brandishing the paper in her hands.

"The Wonderful Wizard?" Galinda asked, her eyes widening with surprise.

Elphaba nodded her head. "He's invited me to the Emerald City to speak with him. Galinda, this is everything I've ever dreamed about."

Galinda bounded across the room and hugged Elphaba excitedly as she said, "This is wonderful, Elphie! I'm so happy for you."

Elphaba relaxed into the fond embrace as she said quietly, "Come with me."

"You want me to go with you to the Emerald City?" Galinda replied, glancing shyly at Elphaba's face.

"Yes. This is the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I want to share it with you," Elphaba said insistently. "You're my best friend, Galinda."

Biting her lip, Galinda said, "Well, I guess I could go, if you want me to."

"Are you sure it wouldn't be an inconvenience?" Elphaba asked, playing along with the game.

"Of course, it's not," Galinda said with a huge grin. "Oh, I've always wanted to go to the Emerald City. Elphie, this is so wonderful!"

"We have to leave at the end of the week, though," Elphaba said, her face growing serious. "Luckily, our spring break is next week, so we won't miss any of our classes."

"That would only be a tragedy for you," Galinda replied with a slight smile. "I'll have to write a letter to my parents to let them know I won't be going home for the break."

"I need to speak with Morrible to tell her that you will be travelling with me," Elphaba said as she scratched her forehead. "She's going to make all the arrangements for the train tickets and the hotel. I think she also mentioned arranging some entertainment."

"Well, go, go, then," Galinda said, laughing. "I'll be here when you get back."

Grinning, Elphaba kissed Galinda on the cheek and ran out the door, exclaiming, "I can't believe this is happening!"

Galinda pressed her hand to her cheek, a slight smile on her face as she gazed after Elphaba. She shook her head to clear her thoughts and started going through a check-list of people to make sure she didn't forget anyone; her parents would need to know and…she had almost forgotten about Fiyero in her excitement. She would have to tell him, and given his recent moodiness, she doubted it would go over well with him that Elphaba was heading for the Emerald City. She still hadn't figured out what had happened between him and Elphaba, but he had only kept pushing her away while he pined for her beautiful green roommate. She decided to get it over with and tell him before Elphaba could get back.

As she started for the open doorway, Fiyero suddenly appeared, a smile on his face.

"Fiyero," Galinda stuttered, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to see you," he said, stepping forward to kiss her. He brushed his lips carelessly against hers and asked, "Did you have somewhere you needed to go?"

"I was actually about to go and find you," she replied with a smile.

"Well, then, it's a good thing that I'm already here," he said as he sat down on her bed. "Saves you the walk."

"I suppose you're right," she agreed, taking a seat beside him. "I need to tell you something."

"Go ahead," he told her, grinning.

"Elphaba and I are traveling to the Emerald City next week," she said quickly, staring at the floor.

"Well, that sounds like a fun trip," he replied. "Any particular reason?"

She sighed and bit her lip. "Elphaba has been invited to see the Wizard."

"Well, that's wonderful news!" he exclaimed, beaming. "I'm glad that you're going to be with her."

"Really?" she asked softly as she gazed up at him. "You're not upset or anything?"

He shrugged and slipped his hand over hers. "This is Elphaba's dream, and you're her best friend. It's a wonderful opportunity for both of you. Why would I be upset?"

"Maybe because I thought you might miss me a little?" she teased, a soft smile on her face.

"That's a given," he said, kissing her forehead. "However, I will learn to get by until the two of you return."

"Well, I have to write my parents a letter," she said softly. "You can stay if you want, but I'm afraid that I might not be much company."

"I have some homework that I need to do, but I will see you later tonight," he replied as he stood up. "Tell Elphaba that I'm happy for her."

"Of course," Galinda said.

Sighing, he left the room, closing the door behind him; Galinda waited for a moment as she looked around her cluttered side of the room for some spare paper. She wondered briefly if he still loved her and then dismissed the thought. It wasn't important anymore.

As they ran through the palace, Glinda cursed under her breath. She hated the fact that she had changed her name in an attempt to impress Elphaba, and she certainly hated the fact that she was now running after her roommate while several very angry guards chased after them. This was not what she wanted, and she would be angrier with Elphaba if she wasn't in the right. She gasped, attempting to catch her breath as Elphaba barricaded the door to the attic.

"Well, nice going," Glinda forced out. "We're trapped now."

"Shut up," Elphaba snapped as she knelt on the ground and flipped through the Grimmerie.

As Elphaba started to read through the spell she had previously cast on the Monkeys, Glinda realized that she was pacing.

"Elphie, what do you think you're doing?" Glinda asked impatiently. "That spell is the reason we're here. Just, stop!"

Elphaba paused, her chest heaving, and she looked at Glinda as the blonde woman shook her head.

"Well, where are your wings?" Glinda said, frowning. "Maybe you're not as powerful as you think you are."

Elphaba sighed as her shoulders slumped. "I suppose you're right."

As Glinda racked her brain to find a solution, she noticed a broom levitating in the corner, and she gasped as it started to float in Elphaba's direction.

"Elphie, look!" Glinda squealed. "You did it."

"I…I did it!" Elphaba exclaimed, reaching out with tentative fingers to grasp the broom. As she gazed down at the object now in her hands, she said, "Glinda, come with me."

"What?" Glinda asked, her excitement fading.

Elphaba held the broom out to Glinda. "Come with me. We can do so much good together. I need you with me, Glinda."

Glinda could hear the pounding of the Gale Force on the door outside, and she knew that she couldn't hesitate for much longer. She had to make a decision.

"Okay," she whispered as she reached out to touch the broom's handle, shocked at the feeling of the magic thrumming in the wood.

"Get on," Elphaba said tersely, a smile on her face.

Glinda obeyed immediately, positioning herself awkwardly on the broom as Elphaba attempted to make herself comfortable.

"We're probably quite a sight," Glinda giggled as she wrapped her arms around Elphaba's waist.

Elphaba nodded her head as she guided the broom into the air, saying, "We're going to need to find a better way to travel."

"Later. Let's just get out of here," Glinda replied.

Pointing the broom in the direction of the window, Elphaba blasted it open before flying through the new opening as Glinda clung on for dear life. The Gale Force burst into the room a few moments too late, and Glinda smiled slightly at the sight of them milling about in confusion as she and Elphaba flew into the western sky.


	3. Chapter 3

Elphaba guided the broom into the Gillikin Forest, wincing as branches whipped against her cheeks, and she could hear Glinda's perturbed squeals of pain; they landed in a tumble of limbs and foliage. As Elphaba righted herself, pulling leaves and small sticks from her hair, the threatening grey clouds overhead let loose their heavy burden, and rain fell in heavy sheets over the two young women.

"Well, this is just wonderful!" Glinda struggled to her feet, clawing at her blonde curls. "What the hell are we supposed to do now?"

"Find shelter."

"But, Elphie, it's raining!"

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "I've noticed, Glinda. If you would like to continue to stand out here and get wet as well as risk being discovered by the Gale Force that is certainly in pursuit, then be my guest. However, I am going to find some trees to huddle under for the night."

Glinda huffed, but she followed after Elphaba as the green girl led the way to a dense cluster of trees. Elphaba clutched the broom tightly in her hands, keeping an eye out for green uniforms as she squatted on the ground; chanting a spell under her breath, Elphaba extended her hand over the ground, and fire appeared, resistant to the rain that managed to make it past the heavy branches. Huddling next the fire, Glinda examined the damage done to her new yellow dress.

"My dress is ruined," she finally announced, a frown marring her pretty face.

"We'll have to get you a new one then." Elphaba didn't even look up from where she was rummaging through her bag. She pulled out a sandwich and tore it in half. "Here, you need to eat."

Glinda took the halved sandwich and nibbled at it, throwing it away in disgust when she realized it was as rain-soaked as all their other possessions. Gritting her teeth, Elphaba bit into her sandwich, determined to ignore Glinda's histrionics. Glinda tapped her hand against her leg as she shivered in the cold air; she couldn't remember the time she had been so miserable.

"Isn't there anything else we can do to keep from getting wet?"

"Short of travelling the rest of the night, no. It will stop raining soon enough. We just can't afford to stay on the move. I'm new to the broom, and I don't feel comfortable flying it through this storm with both of us on it. We're going to have to wait this out until the morning."

"Some plan," Glinda muttered, crossing her arms across her chest.

Elphaba snapped. "I didn't make you come with me, Glinda. So, if all you're going to do is complain, then you are welcome to leave. Maybe the Gale Force will be nice to you. But, I really don't want to listen to you right now because however miserable you are, believe me, I am definitely just as upset. This wasn't the plan; Oz knows that I'm not enjoying sitting in the rain. So, suck it up or leave. Those are your two options."

Glinda looked away, shamed into silence by Elphaba's anger; she regretted throwing away her part of the sandwich as her stomach growled, a flush spreading over her cheeks. Elphaba sighed as she moved closer to the fire, the heat pulling the water from her clothing. Glinda inched over to the fire as well, shadows dancing across her face.

Elphaba patted the ground next to her. "It will be warmer if we huddle together."

Glinda didn't wait for a second invitation, immediately jumping up and situating herself right next to Elphaba's slender body; Elphaba smiled and pulled Glinda closer.

"Do you think we'll make it through this?"

Elphaba brushed her lips against Glinda's forehead as she watched the fire. "Maybe. You're not too cold, are you?"

"I've never been better."


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay, so here's a new chapter. They might get longer, they might not. I never actually intended to write this story, as it was Tiggy's idea originally, and I just didn't want to take on any other projects. However, I love the idea, so here I am. I really do hate to do this, but I'm going to ask that if you're reading this, enjoying it or not, drop a review. I'm well aware of the fact that I'm not a constant reviewer (to be honest, I haven't looked at the Wicked section in several months beyond reading stories by authors already on my alert list), but I do try. I only want to ask the same. I don't really care about glowing praise or anything like that, but I like to know what people think. It's kind of the reason this whole site exists. I hope you all enjoy this newest update, and expect for the next one to come a little faster because I already have an inkling of what's going to happen next. **

Glinda stumbled after Elphaba through the dimly lit underbrush; they had been traveling for several days, and she cursed the fact that she had worn high-heeled shoes to the Emerald City. While they had once been shoes at the height of fashion, they were now caked in mud, the soles were rubbing away, and she didn't even want to think of the damage done to her feet. They used Elphaba's broom for the most part, but it was an uncomfortable ride for two people, so they had walked more than Glinda really wanted to.

The cracking of a twig made Elphaba jump and whirl around to Glinda's side, extending the arm holding the broom towards the sound.

"Elphie, that broom isn't going to do much to protect us," Glinda hissed as she eyed the thick bushes warily.

A large figure emerged in front of them, and Glinda let out a sharp shriek before she felt what seemed to be a very hairy hand pressed against her mouth.

"Shut up."

Glinda looked up at her oppressor with wide eyes and smiled at the sight of the Bear; Elphaba motioned for the Animal to let go of the blonde and wrapped her arm around Glinda's waist.

"I've been looking for the two of you for the past couple of days," he explained. "There's an encampment of Animals a few miles from here, and we want for you to join us."

"How can we know that you won't betray us?" Elphaba raised an eyebrow in challenge to his offer.

"Any enemy of the Wizard is our greatest friend. And, we have food, water, and a warm fire for you to rest by."

"I think we should risk it." Glinda wasn't used to making decisions, but the prospect of being able to rest in semi-peace for one night was enough to make her like the Bear. "He is an Animal, Elphie."

Elphaba sighed. "All right. It would be nice to have some real food."

Glinda squealed with happiness, and taking Elphaba's hand, she promptly skipped after the Bear into the bushes, Elphaba tripping over her own feet to keep up with Glinda's eagerness. They weren't very careful during their journey, but Elphaba excused the noise based on the fact that it was very late at night, and they were no longer alone and unarmed; she firmly believed that the Bear's long claws and sharp teeth were better weapons than a few spells learned in an elementary course on sorcery.

When they reached the edge of the encampment, the small fires giving off a warm glow, Glinda bounced on the balls of her feet and hugged Elphaba close.

"What is wrong with you?" Elphaba freed herself from Glinda's ironclad grasp.

Glinda just shook her head and rushed to the closest fire, stripping off her shoes on the way. Elphaba followed behind her, picking up the discarded shoes, and she settled down next to Glinda, a plate of food shoved under her nose one second later. Elphaba took the plate gratefully, nearly wolfing down the food, and she almost expected a lecture from Glinda on propriety and table manners, but a glance in Glinda's direction put that thought from her mind; Glinda was almost rubbing her face into her plate.

A few hours later, the two girls huddled close to the fire, enjoying the comfort of having others nearby, but they both preferred to be alone with each other. Elphaba played lazily with Glinda's curls, her green fingers twisting in the blonde strands; Glinda grinned at her friend and stood up.

"Dance with me, Elphie."

Elphaba shook her head emphatically. "I don't dance. Ever."

Glinda ignored her refusal and pulled a reluctant Elphaba to her feet. Twirling, Glinda spun crazy circles around the slightly taller woman, her face glowing with joy and love. Throwing her head back, Elphaba allowed Glinda to take her hands and lead her in a wild caper around the fire, laughter pouring from their lips. Glinda looked over at Elphaba, watching the firelight playing over the sharp angles of her face; she thought she had never seen Elphaba look more beautiful.

Fiyero barely spared the wrinkled pages of the front page of his paper any attention as he shoved some clothes into a bag; he had just posted a letter to his father informing the king of his decision to leave Shiz and enlist in the Gale Force. He didn't care if his father would be disappointed because the only thoughts in his mind were about Elphaba and Glinda. He couldn't allow them to stand against the Wizard on their own; they would be killed. He was leaving that night, and he hoped that he would be able to get to them in time. Animals had been disappearing from the town ever since Dr. Dillamond had been dragged off campus, and Fiyero knew that the situation would only get worse. He was tired of sitting on the sidelines and watching the world go by. Closing his bag, he slung it over his shoulder, and after a moment's pause, he shoved the pictures of Glinda and Elphaba from the newspaper into his pocket. And, he set off for the Emerald City.


	5. Chapter 5

Shifting his gun off his shoulder, Fiyero split apart from the group of men and moved out of the clearing; he had been hunting for Glinda and Elphaba with the Gale Force for the past two days, and he was tired, dirty, and incredibly thirsty. The sun beat down through the trees, and he had drained his canteen dry, so he was much more interested in a search for water than the elusive witches. He grinned at the sight of the small brook and knelt to fill up his canteen, but he was distracted when he saw the girl frozen a few feet away.

Glinda met his gaze, her blue eyes narrowed with concentration as she stood to her full height; she was wearing a dark green dress that stopped at her ankles, sweeping over a pair of sensible leather boots, and her hair was pulled away from her face in a tight braid. She was watching him now as he moved his gun to the ground, intent on making sure she understood he did not want to hurt her. Taking a slow breath, he reached a hand out to her, and she stepped forward, her mouth parting in an almost-smile. It was hard to believe that it had been nearly two years since he had laid eyes on her. The sound of his captain calling his name made her eyes flicker from him to the distant trees, and she glared at him before melting into the forest behind her. He blinked, amazed.

Glinda crouched beside the fire, taking a piece of bread from Elphaba, a grateful smile on her face.

"You did well," Elphaba said softly as she leaned over to examine the spell books Glinda had managed to steal. "I think we finally have what we need."

She shrugged. "Good. I was getting tired of being sent out to steal books. Oh, I saw Fiyero today in the forest."

Elphaba stiffened as she looked over at the blonde. "What?"

"He's with the Gale Force now."

Elphaba hissed. "What the hell is he thinking?"

"I don't know. He didn't shoot me."

"You need to be more careful, Glinda. What if it hadn't been Fiyero?" Elphaba pursed her lips and tossed her braid over her shoulder.

Glinda pouted. "I _was_ being careful. He wouldn't have seen me at all if he hadn't separated from his group. I don't think he's going to hurt us, Elphie. He acted like he wanted to talk to me."

"We don't know anything about him anymore. You can't trust him. What if he was trying to trick you?"

"Then he did a pretty awful job."

Elphaba laughed at that. "Come here, I want to work on that spell again."

"Okay, but don't expect for it to work out. I can't seem to get the hang of anything in the Grimmerie."

Elphaba pulled the large book out and flipped through it before landing on the spell she needed; taking Glinda's hand, she chanted a few words and Glinda repeated them. Once Elphaba felt that Glinda was saying the words correctly, she let Glinda say it through herself.

"Now, concentrate," Elphaba murmured, pressing her lips into Glinda's curls.

Glinda's hands trembled as she blinked and started the spell again; she could feel the flickering of power, and she latched onto it, directing it towards the broom she had snatched from an empty house. Elphaba let out a small gasp, and Glinda smiled when she saw the broom hovering in the air.

"You did it!" Elphaba smiled and flung her arms around Glinda's shoulders.

Glinda leaned back and laughed, reaching out to grasp the broom, a small sigh of content escaping her full lips as she felt the unfamiliar power humming through the wood.

"I can't believe it," she whispered.

"I told you that you could do it," Elphaba told her. "You have talent, and you're going to be great. No one in Oz will ever forget us."

"But we're the villains." Glinda couldn't keep the sadness out of her voice, and Elphaba shook her head.

"One day, they'll see that we're right. They have to."


	6. Chapter 6

**So, it's been awhile since I've visited this story. And, I'm really sorry that this chapter is short. I just felt like I got it to a good stopping point to be picked up for the next chapter. The good news? I have almost nothing to do now that I'm finished with school until the middle of January. So, hopefully, I'll get in several updates before I pack up for Ireland. And, don't worry, if this isn't finished by then, I'll try to finish it instead of abandoning it for an entire semester. I hope everyone likes this new chapter.**

Glinda smiled when Elphaba landed her broom beside her. Elphaba dropped her bag to the ground and flopped down next to Glinda.

"I was starting to get worried," Glinda said. She reached over to take Elphaba's hand. "Do you think it's safe to move the Animal camp?"

"It's not exactly safe, but if we don't move them now, we could be found," Elphaba replied. "How have things been here?"

"Boring. I learned a couple of new spells."

"That's good. I got some new books. And, a new pair of boots for you."

"Ooh, let me see them!"

Elphaba grinned and opened her bag to retrieve the boots. Glinda clapped her hands with delight and hugged the new shoes to her chest.

"Oh, they're not even that attractive, but they're new!" Glinda leaned over and kissed Elphaba's cheek. "Thank you."

As she brushed her lips against Elphaba's skin, Glinda frowned; pulling away, she studied Elphaba's face and noticed her flushed cheeks and bright eyes.

"Elphie, I think you're running a fever."

"I'm fine, Glinda, really."

Elphaba coughed, and Glinda shook her head as she pressed a cool hand to Elphaba's heated forehead.

"Elphie, you're burning up. Come on, let's get you back to camp."

"I'm never sick."

"There's a first time for everything. And, no, we're not taking the broom." Glinda rolled her eyes at Elphaba. "I learned a new transportation spell. Sit down."

Elphaba complied with a frown. "How are you going to take me anywhere if I'm on the ground?"

"Hush. I have to concentrate."

Glinda pursed her lips in concentration and made a waving motion with her hands; Elphaba looked on, her eyes widening in horror when she realized she was floating off the ground and was leaving it behind much too quickly for her queasy stomach.

"Glinda, what exactly is this?" Elphaba asked, her attention drawn to what seemed to be a thin film surrounding them.

"I told you I learned a new transportation spell. And, it has the added bonus of allowing me to pick the appearance," Glinda replied. "I thought a bubble would be appropriate. It gives us both space to sit comfortably, and I think it reflects my personality."

Elphaba reached a hand out to touch the side of the bubble, but Glinda stopped her with a shriek.

"Don't!"

Elphaba recoiled. "What the hell, Glinda?"

"I don't know if touching it could make it pop," Glinda explained.

"Did you ever think about testing it before putting an invalid in it?"

"I thought you weren't sick."

Elphaba slumped down, closing her eyes. "Maybe I should reconsider that assessment."

* * *

Glinda frowned as she wiped sweat from Elphaba's forehead. Elphaba turned her head away from Glinda and coughed, tremors racking her thin body.

"Elphie?" Glinda asked, her voice timid.

"I think I'm going to throw up," Elphaba replied.

Glinda held out a bucket and waited as Elphaba dry-heaved in its direction; Glinda pushed Elphaba's hair away from her paling green face and used the opportunity to check on her fever.

"You're still running a high fever," Glinda murmured. "You need a doctor."

"Can't have one. We're fugitives."

Another cough tore through Elphaba's throat, and Glinda winced in sympathy. Reaching out, she sponged Elphaba's forehead again.

"Maybe I can try to swipe some medicine. Something to at least bring down your fever."

"I think it's best if you stay here with me," Elphaba said. "I promise, I'll be fine in a couple of days."

"That's what you said last week," Glinda protested. "Please, Elphie, you're only getting worse."

"I'll feel better after I get some sleep. Go get some rest, Glinda. I'll be all right for a couple of hours." Elphaba attempted a smile, but Glinda shook her head.

"I'm not the one that's sick."

"You're going to get sick, too, if you don't keep your strength up. Now, please, I promise, all I'm going to do is sleep."

"You'll wake me up if you need me?" Glinda asked.

"Of course."

Glinda gave her a sad smile and stood up. She stepped outside the tent and started to head towards the fire in the center of the camp, but stopped. She wrapped her arms around her and looked back at the tent she shared with Elphaba. She knew Elphaba was only getting weaker, and the sickness had moved to her lungs. She had to do something more.

* * *

Glinda leaned over Elphaba's prone form and pressed a kiss to her forehead. Elphaba didn't even stir.

"I'll be back soon, Elphie," Glinda whispered. "The Animals are going to take care of you. Hang on until I get back."

Straightening up, Glinda left the tent, slinging her bag of supplies over her head. She took one of the brooms she and Elphaba had enchanted and took off into the sky, headed due east.


	7. Chapter 7

Glinda paced the length of her cell. She had only spent half a day in prison, and she was restless. She knew Elphaba would be furious if she knew the risk Glinda was taking. Glinda had taken the gamble regardless. It was worth it for Elphaba. And, thankfully, the risk was worth it. Glinda had bet on the fact that there would be a higher bounty for her alive than dead, and she had been right. So, now she was waiting for…something. She only needed one last piece to fall into place.

"Glinda?"

She rushed to the bars, grateful that gossip spread so fast. "Fiyero."

He smiled in relief. "I had heard they had killed you. Oz, I was worried. Glinda, what happened? Where is Elphaba? Is she all right?"

"That's why I'm here." Glinda leaned into the bars to whisper, "Fiyero, she's sick. I think she's dying. She's hiding in an Animal camp, but I don't know how much longer she's going to last. And, I don't have anywhere to take her."

"What can I do?"

"Is there somewhere you can hide us until she gets better? Possibly even get some medicine for her?"

"I have a castle in Kiamo Ko. My family prefers the other castle, so no one is there except for a few guards, and they're completely loyal to me and my family. Will that do?"

Glinda smiled, almost crying. "Yes. Thank goodness for you. I've been so afraid for her."

He looked down the corridor and turned back to her. "I'll come back for you tonight. Do you have some way we can travel quickly?"

"I have a spell that will work?"

"Are you sure?"

"I've gotten much better at magic since you last saw me. Don't be so shocked."

He reached his hand through the bars and gave her cold fingers a soft squeeze. "Tonight, then."

She nodded her head in agreement and retreated into the shadows of her cell as he strode away.

Their escape turned out to not be very dramatic. Fiyero had managed to wrangle a shift guarding her with one other member of the Gale Force. After knocking out his companion, Fiyero had let her out, and they had snuck to the back gate. From there, they were traveling in Glinda's bubble. Fiyero was slumped down, unsure of whether he wanted to see where he was going or not.

"You know, Elphaba has full confidence in me," Glinda remarked.

Fiyero eyed the ground. "Yeah. I just can't help remembering all the magic fiascos you had before you left."

"That was years ago."

"I just like minimizing my risks."

Glinda shook her head. "You haven't changed at all."

"Are we still a couple?"

Glinda paused and looked down at him. "Is that really important?"

"I think it is," he said quietly.

"I don't understand what you mean by the question, then."

"I want to know if you are still interested in me as a romantic partner."

"No."

He nodded his head. "Okay. I'm glad we settled that."

"You're not upset?" She couldn't help feeling a little hurt that he took her rejection so calmly.

"It's been a few years since we've seen each other, Glinda. We're different people now. And, it's not like we were madly in love before you ran off with Elphaba." He gave her a small smile. "I think we both know we were never going to last anyway."

She sighed. "Maybe that is true."

He chanced a look down at the ground. "Are we almost there?"

"We have another couple of hours."

"Great."


	8. Chapter 8

**I'm sorry it's been so long since I've updated this. However, I hope you enjoy what I have here.**

Elphaba's eyes fluttered open, and the first thing that registered in her mind was that her throat was dry. Painfully so. The second thing she processed was that the bed she was lying now was much more comfortable than the one in the Animal camp. Her gaze shifted to the left and fell on Fiyero.

"I must be dreaming," she whispered, her voice cracking.

He started. "You're awake."

"And I'm thirsty."

He responded by reaching for a glass of water and giving it to her. She struggled into a sitting position and sipped at the liquid, the coolness slipping down her throat and soothing the flaming pain.

She looked back at Fiyero. "Is this a hallucination, or are you real?"

"I'm definitely real," he responded with a broad smile. "Glinda told me how sick you were. You're in Kiamo Ko now."

Elphaba spluttered. "Glinda went to the Emerald City? How could she? She could have been killed!"

"She's in one piece," Fiyero offered in reassurance; at Elphaba's glare, he pouted. "Aren't you happy to see me?"

"Of course I am. I've missed you."

He leaned over and rested a hand against her forehead. "Hmm, you don't have a fever."

She raised an eyebrow. "Are you questioning my ability to express honest feelings?"

"The Elphaba I remember would never be so open about anything going on in her head."

"Two years on the run from the law tend to change a person."

His eyes turned sad. "I was looking for you. I wanted to help you."

"It looks like you have," she said in a soft voice, a small smile spreading across her face. "Where's Glinda?"

He shrugged. "Asleep, I imagine. It's the middle of the night." At Elphaba's questioning look, he explained further, "We've been taking turns keeping watch over you. You almost died, Elphaba. I would go get her, but she really needs to rest."

"I think I can wait for a few hours, then." She relaxed back into the pillows. "Now, tell me about your exploits as a member of the Gale Force."

"There's not much to tell. I would much rather hear about what you've been doing."

"Oh, Fiyero, I'll tell you. But it won't be a fair trade if you don't share as well."

Glinda adjusted the blanket and handed a book over to Elphaba. "I wish you would stop studying. You need to rest."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "You've kept me in this bed for the past two _weeks_. I'm about to go out of my mind with boredom. If I'm not allowed to get up, I might as well do something useful."

"Well, no using magic until you're up to full strength."

"Sometimes I don't know who's more of the mother hen, you or Fiyero."

Glinda stiffened at the mention of Fiyero. "The two of you have gotten close."

"Are the two of you still, you know, together?" Elphaba was projecting an aura of disinterest, but Glinda could see through it.

"No."

Elphaba bit her bottom lip and reached out for Glinda's hand. "I'm sorry."

"What about? We both decided that it was for the best. I simply don't love him anymore. I don't think I ever did."

Elphaba didn't respond to that; there really wasn't anything to say. Glinda was aware that Elphaba was now distinctly uncomfortable, so Glinda shook her head and nudged Elphaba's shoulder.

"Scoot over. No reason to study alone."

Elphaba smiled and moved to the right of the bed, making room for Glinda to cuddle up beside her. Glinda curled up on her side and let her hand brush against Elphaba's as she reached for the book. And Glinda tried to pretend that her heart didn't jump a little when Elphaba directed the full force of her smile right at Glinda.


	9. Chapter 9

**So, I hope everyone likes this chapter. I love feedback of any kind: flames, love, constructive criticism, whatever. It's encouraging, especially when I feel stuck, and even though reviews are not a guarantee of faster updates (if only because I am literally working on six separate stories at once in two different fandoms), it does help the process along. **

**

* * *

**It had officially been three weeks since Fiyero had brought the two girls to Kiamo Ko, and it was the first night Glinda had let Elphaba get out of bed. Glinda was currently standing out on a balcony, watching the stars and shivering because the seasons were turning back to winter. Fiyero would be leaving the next day because his leave of absence was up. He had given an excuse that his little sister was deathly ill, and he had wanted to be with her in case things went badly. Due to the lack of communication between the Vinkus and the Emerald City, the lie had gone unchallenged, but he couldn't stay away forever.

In celebration of Elphaba's liberation, Fiyero had broken out the wine stores from the cellars of the castle, and all three of them had proceeded to become very, very drunk. Glinda could feel the warmth thrumming through her veins as she listened to Elphaba's laughter and Fiyero's increasingly bad jokes. She smiled a little, happy that her two friends were so obviously meant for each other and incredibly sad that she was the one who wouldn't get the fairytale ending. Not that Fiyero and Elphaba were anywhere near entering a relationship. Elphaba had it stuck in her head that it was taboo to take up with her best friend's ex-boyfriend, and Fiyero was simply too sensitive to Glinda's feelings about the entire matter.

Glinda sighed and leaned forward onto the railing; she swayed, a little off-balance, and there was a moment when she almost fell over the side. A green hand caught onto her elbow and steadied her.

"What are you doing out here alone?" Elphaba asked as she pulled Glinda a little away from the balcony.

Glinda shrugged. "Just thinking. Where's Fiyero? The two of you sounded like you were having a good time. I would hate to spoil it."

"He went to go get some more wine. We ran out."

Glinda laughed. "Of course. Wouldn't want to ruin the party."

"He's going to regret drinking this much when he has to leave in the morning."

"He's used to it."

Elphaba wrapped her arms around her middle and looked up at the sky. "We're going to have to go back out there eventually. We can't stay here forever."

"I wish we could," Glinda whispered, a wistful smile on her face. "Just the two of us. Maybe we could finally be happy."

"Just the two of us?"

Glinda's head snapped up from where she had been contemplating the stone pattern of the balcony and realized what had slipped out of her mouth. She met Elphaba's gaze and almost flinched away because despite the fact that both of them had consumed copious amounts of wine, Elphaba's eyes were far too clear after that unwarranted confession. Elphaba stepped forward, placing her hands on Glinda's arms, steadying the blonde and herself, anchoring them.

"I didn't mean…" Glinda's voice trailed off. She sighed. "I guess you know now."

Elphaba's eyes dropped to the ground. "How long?"

"Since before we became fugitives. I don't really know. Does it matter?"

"No." Elphaba looked back up at her, and Glinda shivered. "Glinda, I don't know how to say this, but…"

"Just, don't." Glinda's voice broke and she ducked her head before continuing, "I know you're in love with him. And, it's okay."

"It's not. Everyone says that you're supposed to fall in love with your best friend, which is really fucking unfair because I have two. And, I have to choose." Elphaba leaned in and pressed a kiss to Glinda's forehead. "Sometimes, I wish it had been you."

That was too much for Glinda. First one tear, then another slid down her cheeks until she was sobbing and they sank to the ground, tangled up in each other's arms. Elphaba held her close until Glinda's small cries faded away and she wiped the salty tracks from her face.

"I'm sorry," Glinda whispered.

"Don't be."

And, Elphaba's face was suddenly very close to hers, and before Glinda could figure out what was happening, Elphaba kissed her. And, it was everything Glinda had imagined and at the same time, completely different. Glinda let out a small gasp and responded, her mouth molding to Elphaba's soft lips, her tongue flicking out, asking for entrance. And, when Elphaba parted her mouth, Glinda stilled at the contact. Elphaba pulled back first, her cheeks flushed.

Glinda smiled a little, her eyes filling back up with tears. "Thank you."

Elphaba shook her head and stood up; she offered a hand down to Glinda and helped the girl up from the ground. Glinda didn't release Elphaba's hand right away and pulled the other woman into a hug.

"Don't let me keep you from being happy," Glinda whispered into her ear. "That's all I want for you. You deserve it."

"Don't you deserve it, too?" Elphaba's voice was shaking.

Glinda stepped back and tapped Elphaba on the nose. "It's my prerogative to decide what makes me happy. Don't worry about me."

Elphaba pushed a curl out of Glinda's face affectionately and gave her a small smile. "If you say so, my pretty. I'm going to check on Fiyero. He'll be looking for us soon."

"I'll join you in a minute."

Elphaba walked off, and Glinda turned back to the balcony railing. A shooting star streaked across the sky in a flash of brilliance, and she closed her eyes, prepared to make a wish. But, she didn't. This time, when the tears welled up, they fell in silence, staining the dark stone.


End file.
